Outhouse Editor

Eli Katz wrote:Yeah, it's nothing like regular superhero comics. But it has many similarities with post modern novels. The dialogue page is right out of William S. Burroughs, who used this technique 50 years ago to disrupt his novels.

I don't think it's an especially effective storytelling device. It draws attention to itself and diminishes the overall story.

But I'd love to see why some of you guys think the dialogue page is so effective.

I don't think he employs it that way though.

Certainly it was Burroughs did, and with him it also added to the keep you guessing style of his storytelling. You are right though, used in that manner it is ineffective.

This was not Hickman's best use of it. This could have easily been a black panel with the words back and forth in balloons. Only problem then is who is saying what?

In Pax Romana, it was its most effective. Seriously, those pages would have been entire issues by themselves of committee meetings that would have been near impossible to read in balloons.

Here, it does both. It is a break from the story in a certain manner, but given the way Weaver is playing with design (again I think Hickman is heavily influencing the layout and the design of the Celestial beings below Rome - this may even be part of what people are noting in the difference in the art for those sequences - although I suspect the cold static feeling of those panels is supposed to give you an otherworldly feel for the guys with the crazy hats).. it almost fits. Almost. This is certainly the one time he has employed the technique where it would not have been an overly drawn out sequence in standard comic narrative. From a purely postmodern stance though, it works as it calls attention to the words. There are as important if not more important in this book than a standard Marvel book.

Outhouse Editor

Eli Katz wrote:Yeah, it's nothing like regular superhero comics. But it has many similarities with post modern novels. The dialogue page is right out of William S. Burroughs, who used this technique 50 years ago to disrupt his novels.

I don't think it's an especially effective storytelling device. It draws attention to itself and diminishes the overall story.

But I'd love to see why some of you guys think the dialogue page is so effective.

I don't think he employs it that way though.

Certainly it was Burroughs did, and with him it also added to the keep you guessing style of his storytelling. You are right though, used in that manner it is ineffective.

This was not Hickman's best use of it. This could have easily been a black panel with the words back and forth in balloons. Only problem then is who is saying what?

In Pax Romana, it was its most effective. Seriously, those pages would have been entire issues by themselves of committee meetings that would have been near impossible to read in balloons.

Here, it does both. It is a break from the story in a certain manner, but given the way Weaver is playing with design (again I think Hickman is heavily influencing the layout and the design of the Celestial beings below Rome - this may even be part of what people are noting in the difference in the art for those sequences - although I suspect the cold static feeling of those panels is supposed to give you an otherworldly feel for the guys with the crazy hats).. it almost fits. Almost. This is certainly the one time he has employed the technique where it would not have been an overly drawn out sequence in standard comic narrative. From a purely postmodern stance though, it works as it calls attention to the words. There are as important if not more important in this book than a standard Marvel book.

OMCTO

Certainly it was Burroughs did, and with him it also added to the keep you guessing style of his storytelling. You are right though, used in that manner it is ineffective.

This was not Hickman's best use of it. This could have easily been a black panel with the words back and forth in balloons. Only problem then is who is saying what?

In Pax Romana, it was its most effective. Seriously, those pages would have been entire issues by themselves of committee meetings that would have been near impossible to read in balloons.

Here, it does both. It is a break from the story in a certain manner, but given the way Weaver is playing with design (again I think Hickman is heavily influencing the layout and the design of the Celestial beings below Rome - this may even be part of what people are noting in the difference in the art for those sequences - although I suspect the cold static feeling of those panels is supposed to give you an otherworldly feel for the guys with the crazy hats).. it almost fits. Almost. This is certainly the one time he has employed the technique where it would not have been an overly drawn out sequence in standard comic narrative. From a purely postmodern stance though, it works as it calls attention to the words. There are as important if not more important in this book than a standard Marvel book.

Certainly it was Burroughs did, and with him it also added to the keep you guessing style of his storytelling. You are right though, used in that manner it is ineffective.

This was not Hickman's best use of it. This could have easily been a black panel with the words back and forth in balloons. Only problem then is who is saying what?

In Pax Romana, it was its most effective. Seriously, those pages would have been entire issues by themselves of committee meetings that would have been near impossible to read in balloons.

Here, it does both. It is a break from the story in a certain manner, but given the way Weaver is playing with design (again I think Hickman is heavily influencing the layout and the design of the Celestial beings below Rome - this may even be part of what people are noting in the difference in the art for those sequences - although I suspect the cold static feeling of those panels is supposed to give you an otherworldly feel for the guys with the crazy hats).. it almost fits. Almost. This is certainly the one time he has employed the technique where it would not have been an overly drawn out sequence in standard comic narrative. From a purely postmodern stance though, it works as it calls attention to the words. There are as important if not more important in this book than a standard Marvel book.

Outhouse Editor

Tonight or tomorrow. I reread #1 saturday and then my cold kicked back in hardcore, i was okay sunday morning, but had an interesting day, to say the least and then yesterday I woke up with a swollen black tongue. No ickiness today though, so hopefully I have recovered? If not, I might actually have to break down and see a doctor.

Outhouse Editor

Tonight or tomorrow. I reread #1 saturday and then my cold kicked back in hardcore, i was okay sunday morning, but had an interesting day, to say the least and then yesterday I woke up with a swollen black tongue. No ickiness today though, so hopefully I have recovered? If not, I might actually have to break down and see a doctor.